The Labor enquirer., 1887-10-15
SOWING THE WIND.

Again nave the PoiiCe Snoweo q
disposition to desire repetition,
in New York this time, of the
Haymarket affair. On last Satur-
day evening there gathered in
Union square in the city of New
York concourse of people who
had come together for the purpose
of discussing the political issues
of the day. They were acting the
part of American citizens. Under
the constitution we are supposed
to be guaranteed the right to as
semble and discuss any question,
whether social, political or re-
ligious. The police of new York
as well as those of Chicago, it
seems, are above the laws and the
constitution. The meeting re-
ferred to was one called by the
Progressive Labor Party. The
San Francisco Examiner reporter,
in his telegraphed account, states
that "the meeting went on peacea-
bly, for a mass meeting; remarka-
bly, pacific for Socialistic gather
ing" No violent language even
was used, as the subject under dis
cussion was political one which
called for no language other than
temperate.
Let the Examiner reporter tell
what happened:
Talk was flowing from the three
speaking points, when suddenly
the long. line of blue coats, $50 ol
} them, each with his heavy night
stick. a stout butt of locust, a YARD
: long and nearly two inches in di-
ameter, came on in an irresistible
skirmish line.
There was little shouting, but in
the twinkling of an eye that vas,
assemblage of citizens meltec
away before the last charge of the
clubbing brigade.
The big lighted transparencies
dropped from frightened hands
the torches were flung away tc
Tighten the rush of their holders
while with one broad roar offright
the great concourse divided itself
into two flying bodies and sought
refuge in Fourth avenue on one
side and on Broadway to the west,
There was no resistance, no
skirmishes or hand-to-hand con-
flicts here or there. Col. Hinton,
the long-haired agitator, who was
talking at the time, simply saw his
audience scatter away as the po-
lice formed-a great wedge of va
cancy where before the thousands
of interested listeners had been
standing.
There was but little sound, only
a dull groan of protest. a noise of
scurrying feet. From a hundred
directions at once the sharp STAG
cato of the club could be heard
falling upon the shoulders and
heads of the hurrying ones.
Two minutes or less and the
fight was over.
The human cattle had been
driven by their human herdsmen
into wild stampede.
Not one in hundred knew the
why or the wherefore of the charge.
They only heard the muttered cry
of "The police are coming" and
waited not to hear more.
They could not if they would,
for the tide of humanity carried
all before it. A few fell only to be
trampled upon by the frightened
fellows, and then they arose.
scored and SCARED, to find the
clubs of the police ready to fall
upon them.
That the murderous onslaught
of the police was deliberately
planned and carried out by them
there cannot be the shadow of a
doubt. The reporter for the Ex.
aminfy we'll understood this, as he
: says in commencing his report
!: that "the police paid back with in
terest the score they have beer
: keeping during all the years since
} Schwab and his companions forced
, the police to retreat from Tomp.
kins square" However this may
/ be, whether it was the old grudgt
, the police were gratifying, or were
4 acting by reason of the conspiracy